The MOVE Crisis In Philadelphia: Extremist Groups and Conflict Resolution Paperback – February 20, 1990

The authors chronicle the conflicting agendas and hidden agendas that conspired to create one of the biggest miscarriages of police action in modern memory. Assefa gives a balanced and respectful description of each of the major participants, so much so that we begin to see a very different John Africa than the one we remember from media accounts at the time of the incident. Was he a visionary, the guru of a regressive cult, or a sociopath with an alarming charisma, the kind that can get a roomful of people to drink a whole lot of Kool-Aid before they realize what they've gotten into? Which is not to imply that MOVE members were unwilling dupes of Africa. They believed in both him and his cause with a fervor that escalated literally overnight into paranoia, hypervigilance, and the display of weapons in a manner that inspired some to support their standoff with the police and the city, while others saw their morph into a paramilitary band as the last straw in an urban battle that had been allowed to go on for way too long.This isn't my particular area of history study, so I prefer to leave my review here. If I go on, I might easily tread onto ground that, not surprisingly, is still considered by some as too sacred to speak of lightly; other readers may say it is a painful chapter best laid to rest. However, the lesson here is not a balanced re-telling of history, but the chronical of how this knot of madness, broken promises, power plays, and ultimately, violent confrontation was defused by two of the worlds foremost peace builders. Assefa's successes include his active roles in the Congo and Liberia during civil war in both countries respectively.The authors take perhaps too much time getting us to the conflict resolution, but I appreciated this book's stripped-down narrative: no words wasted. A little more than halfway through the book, the conflict resolution efforts begin in earnest, and it is here that the "hidden treasure" in this book reveals itself. All in all, a very worthwhile read, and inspiring for anyone involved in peace building efforts in urban communities.

Ordered this book for a class! It's a fascinating story that needs to be heard/read.

Great read

great book with nonpartisan reporting.

excruciatingly in-your-face modern political thriller